Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 16:29:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Brad
Subject: College with Mark 10
CHAPTER 17
Mark and Brad began a week of learning where their friends and former
friends stood. Some of it was painful, while some was surprising. Mark
and Brad went home and were watching television when the doorbell rang. It
was Jeff, Mark's childhood best friend. The two were inseparable from the
time they were in the same class in the second grade.
"Hey, Jeff, how are you doing? Come on in."
"Hey, Mark," he said quietly.
"How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."
"Pretty good. I have enjoyed Statesboro. How about you?"
"Athens is great. You need to come up and visit sometime."
"Yeah, maybe sometime," Jeff said, in a very uneasy tone.
"You know Brad, don't you, Jeff?" Mark said, pointing to Brad.
"Yeah," Jeff said.
"So what's been going on with you?" Mark said casually.
"Not as much as I have heard has been going on around here."
"Boy things travel fast around here. I guess its ok to tell you. It's
true, she is pregnant."
Jeff just looked at him with a puzzled look on his face and said, "What are
you talking about?"
"You mean you don't know? Well, never mind."
"I don't have any idea what the hell you are talking about, and doubt I
want to." Jeff drew a deep breath and tried to say calmly though he looked
at Brad with disgust while he said it, "What I am talking about is that I
heard that you two were butt buddies."
Mark just looked at him for a moment. "I guess you could call it that if
you wanted to, but to answer your question, it is no secret. I am gay and
very much in love with Brad," Mark said while staring at his best friend
and wondering what his reaction would be.
"That's what they said, that you two were a couple of fags. I didn't
believe it when I heard it. I said, surely not Mark, not my best friend
Mark. I just can't believe you are like that. I can't believe I spent the
night in the same room as you all those times. I can't believe I went
camping and shared a tent with you. I bet you wanted to rape me the whole
time. You fucking fags."
"Jeff, I never wanted to rape you. I don't want to rape anybody."
"Oh, so I'm not hot enough for you? So you prefer this little pretty boy
over here to me."
"Jeff, what the hell are you talking about? I want you to know that I
don't want to rape anyone. I do think you are a very attractive guy, but I
also know you are not gay, and so I never thought of you that way."
"You are such a fag. I can't believe you were ever my friend."
"Well, I am still your friend, though it appears that you are no longer
mine."
"You stupid fudge packers, don't you know it's wrong? It is so gross what
you guys do. I probably interrupted some sick sexual game here this
morning."
"First of all, Jeff, we don't just sit around and have sex. We are normal
people just like you and your girlfriend, and we do other things just like
you. In fact, it has been several days since we have even had sex if you
really want to know. Out of respect for Mark's parents, we do not have sex
while we are in their house," Brad said sternly.
"So what, you run out in the yard and roll around in the flowerbed naked?"
"Jeff, this is getting ridiculous," Mark said.
"Well, let me put a stop to this right now. I am going to leave. I don't
intend to come back. My friends are not queer, so I guess you can just
make a choice. Nobody wants you around like that."
"Jeff, I have made my choice. I think you know what that choice is. If
you ever realize how wrong you are, you are welcome to call me anytime, but
otherwise, I think you need to leave now."
"I think I do too. I don't want to hang around with you two fags."
Jeff got up and walked out of the house. As he was leaving, he turned to
Brad and said, "Why did you do this to him, you fag?"
That set Mark off. He started to the door with his fists clenched. "How
dare you talk about Brad like that, you shitface. He didn't do anything to
make me gay."
At that point, Mark stopped short. Brad was holding him back. Jeff was
staring straight at them. Brad whispered to Mark, "lets see how he likes
this." With that, Brad kissed Mark deeply and passionately.
Jeff shouted, "Faggots!" and ran to his truck.
"Some friend," Mark said and then sat down and began to cry.
"Its going to be ok, Mark. I promise."
"I know. I just feel silly crying like this. You have been rejected like
that by your whole family, and I have one friend reject me, and I fall
apart. What an idiot I am."
"No, you are not an idiot. It's just hard. The only reason I could stand
up like that was because I knew you were there behind me. Just remember, I
am here for you."
As Mark was recovering from this encounter, Rick was gathering his courage.
He drove to the hospital where Mary's dad was the pharmacist. He sat in
the car for a few minutes before going in. He walked up to the pharmacy
and was greeted by a tech that he went to high school with.
"How are you doing today?"
"Pretty good," she replied.
"Good. Is Mr. Whitfield here?"
"Yeah, hold on a second, and I'll get him."
She turned and walked away, and in a moment, Mary's dad appeared.
"Hey, Mr. Whitfield, how are you?" Rick said nervously.
"I am fine, but what is wrong with you? You look white as a sheet. Is
something wrong?"
"No, I just want to talk to you."
"Well, why don't we walk over to the cafeteria for a minute. You look like
you need a cup of coffee."
"Ok," Rick said. He really couldn't believe this was happening. They
walked to the cafeteria silently.
After they had each gotten a cup of coffee, they sat down at a table in the
corner of the empty cafeteria, Mr. Whitfield patiently and calmly said,
"Ok, Rick, I know this is important or you wouldn't look so upset. Please
tell me what is going on."
"I owe you that after barging in the way I have. Mr. Whitfield, what I
want to tell you is that first, I never meant to scare you. I love your
daughter very much, and I would like to ask her to marry me, but I want to
ask your blessings first," Rick let out a sigh of relief after he said it.
"Well, needless to say, this was not the turn that I was expecting today,
but it was a pleasant one. I have known you and your family for a long
time, and I know that you will treat her right. I appreciate you coming
and asking that. So many kids don't these days, and so I am happy to give
you my blessing."
"Thanks, but please don't say anything to anyone. I haven't said anything
to her yet, and you know what a small town this is. I want to ask her
tonight."
"I can do that. I am really excited, but I do have to get back upstairs.
I understand. I appreciate it."
As they headed different directions at the door to the cafeteria,
Mr. Whitfield whispered into his ear, "Welcome to the family."
Late that afternoon, Rick got into the shower to prepare for the big night.
He was so nervous that night as he got ready to go to Mary's. He was
startled as he stepped out of the shower and saw Mark standing in his
bathroom.
"Damn! What the hell are you doing here?"
"What a way to welcome your favorite brother."
"You are in MY house. I live here alone, remember? Also, I am in my
bathroom. Naked I might add."
"So, I have seen naked men lots of times, though you are kinda cute. If
you reconsider this whole wedding thing, maybe Brad and I can convert you."
"Hey now, don't be signing me up to buy goods I haven't seen," Brad said as
he walked into the bathroom. "Ok, I'll buy those goods you were signing me
up for," Brad said as he walked in and took a look at Rick. "I see certain
things run in the family. One can never have too many hot men."
Rick blushed and said, "What is this, a public restroom?"
"Yeah, you didn't get that message? The city is planning to let this
serve for all people passing through town," Mark answered
"Yeah, right. Seriously, what are you guys doing here?" Rick wanted to
know.
"Well I know you have an important night tonight."
"Yeah. I told you I asked her dad, didn't I?"
"Yes. Did you tell him she is pregnant?"
"No. I didn't think it was the right thing to do. I will tell him with
her if she asks me to, but I am not going to do that without talking to her
about it first. Now, as for you two, you never answered me. Why are you
here?"
"We knew this was a big night for you and wanted to help you."
"And just how were you planning to do that?"
"Have you ever seen that show where all the gay guys converge on the
straight guy and make him more fashionable?"
"I think I saw it one time."
"That is what we are doing, except our only goal is to dress and groom you
so that you are as hot as you can be so that she will want to marry you
when you ask her."
"Do I need that much help?" Rick asked in a hurt voice.
"No, of course not, but we just want you to have all the advantages a gay
brother can offer," Mark said.
"Ok, I suppose I will let you guys have your fun, but I am warning you, if
I don't like it, this ain't TV and I'm not wearing it."
"Sounds fine," Mark said.
At that moment, Brad ripped the towel Rick had wrapped himself in while
they were talking away. This left Rick standing in front of them in all
his naked glory. Brad called out, "Ah, the blank slate."
"Come on, Brad, we have lots of work ahead of us," Mark said.
Brad looked directly at Rick and said, "Mark, are you sure that we don't
need to do a taste test?"
"I don't. I can tell from looking that he tastes pretty bad, but if you
want to, go ahead. You better hurry up and do it before he is off the
market."
"Ok," Brad answered as he moved closer to Rick and put his arm around his
shoulder and began to rub his hand on Rick's naked chest.
"Hey now!" Rick shouted as he started to squirm away from Brad's hold. "I
like you guys, but I am not gay, ok."
Brad and Mark looked at each other and busted out laughing.
"You guys were just playing me, weren't you?"
"I'm sorry, Rick, it was just too easy. We couldn't help it," Brad said
between giggles.
"I mean I would expect something like this out of Mark, because, well, he
is dumb, but I really thought you were above that, Brad."
"I guess not," Brad replied. "I do want to tell you that you have a nice
body though. Seriously, we aren't here to critique your wardrobe, though
we will offer pointers if you want."
"What he is trying to say is that we are here because I know you and I know
you will be nervous as hell if you don't have someone distracting you,"
Mark said.
"Thanks, guys."
Rick got ready to go to Mary's as Mark and Brad joked with him and helped
him to stay as calm as possible. When the time came, both Mark and Brad
hugged Rick and wished him good luck.
As he got into his truck, Mark said, "Call me as soon as you are done and
let me know."
"I will, Rick said."
With that, Rick got into his truck and drove to the Whitfield house, and
Mark and Brad drove back to the Lee house.
Rick rang the doorbell when he reached the Whitfield house. Mary had
graduated from college and began teaching math at the middle school in
town. When she moved back she moved in with her parents. Mary's mother
answered the door.
"Rick, how are you doing? Mary didn't say that you were coming by this
afternoon. She has been in her room since she got home from school."
"I just wanted to come by. She didn't know I was coming," Rick said
calmly.
"Oh, ok. You know I always enjoy talking to you, but I have some things
cooking. I am sure I will have enough for you to stay for dinner if you
want to."
"I am not sure what my mother is cooking tonight. She seems to cook a lot
more when my little brother is home, but if you have enough then I might."
"Either way is fine. Just let me know whether to set you a place at the
table or not. You know where her room is. I need to get back to the
kitchen."
"Ok," Rick replied.
He walked back to Mary's room and gently tapped on her door.
"Hold on," he heard a quiet voice say. A minute later he heard a very
soft, "Come in."
Rick walked into the room, shutting the door behind him and saw a weak and
sad Mary. He could tell she had been crying. He walked over to her and
she turned away from him.
He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he
whispered in her ear.
"Its not your fault. It is mine, and I am just a mess."
"It is my fault too."
"Rick, I am so sorry. I know this isn't what should happen. I just don't
know what to do."
"Well lets sit down and talk about this," he said calmly and
compassionately.
They both sat down on the edge of the bed.
Mary looked at Rick and said, "I am just so sorry. I have been thinking
about what to do ever since we talked."
"I have too, Mary," Rick said. "I want to tell you that I love you very
much...." At this point, Rick slid off the bed onto his knee in one movement
while reaching into the pocked of his slacks. He continued, "... and I want
to ask you if you will marry me." As he was saying this, he pulled the
ring he and his mother had picked out from his pocket and presented it to
her.
Mary just looked at him like she had been hit with a ton of bricks.
"Mary? Are you ok?" Rick asked after a few moments of silence.
"I'm fine. I am just surprised. After yesterday, I thought that you
wanted me to have an abortion, and I had almost decided that was the thing
to do. I just need to think about this."
"Mary, I am not pressuring you. I love you, and that was my initial
reaction, but I just thought more about it, and that is not at all what I
want to do."
"I just don't want you to feel like I forced you into something that you
didn't want to do. If this is not what you want to do, then I don't want
you to feel like you have to do this."
"Mary, after we talked yesterday, I did a lot of thinking. I talked to my
brother about it, and ...."
"Oh my God! You told your brother?"
"Yes. I couldn't help it. He walked in while I was on the phone to you.
I was hysterical. He made me tell him what was wrong. I couldn't make him
worry about me like that and not tell him what was wrong. I assume you
didn't tell your parents?"
"Oh no! I have no idea how I would do it. That is one reason I started
thinking abortion was a better option. That way they would never have to
know."
"Mary, when I talked to my brother last night, I realized a lot of things
about myself and what I want. I learned a lot about how things can work
out for the best even though they don't seem like it at the time. In fact,
I learned that I was conceived in much the same circumstances. That is a
sobering thought. I realized how much I love you and that I will have to
live with whatever decision you make because ultimately the decision is
yours."
Rick sat back beside her on the bed and took her in his arms. "I want to
tell you that I love you. I am at a point in my life that if I didn't
believe that I would one day like to marry you, that we would not have even
been seeing each other at all. This just makes that a happen a little
sooner. There are so many things I want to tell you. I want you to know
that I want more than anything for you to say yes. I want you to know that
I want you to have this baby either way. Even if you don't want to marry
me, I will gladly take him or her and raise it myself. It never even has
to know you are its mother if you don't want them to. I just wanted to let
you know that option is there, and that I love you, and I will accept any
decision you make."
"Rick, I ...."
"I don't expect you to answer me right now. It is a lot for you to digest
and a huge decision for you to make."
"Rick, I can't decide by myself."
"Mary, I will sit here with you as long as you want, but I am afraid I will
push you into something you don't want to do."
"Rick, its not that. I just am so overwhelmed. I had sat here and talked
myself into having an abortion because I thought that is what you wanted.
Now that seems to have changed and so I have to rethink my decision."
"Mary, I love you. I want you to marry me, but I only want that if you
want to marry me. I do not want to push you into anything. I want you to
have the baby whether we marry or not. It is simple what I want, but it
has taken me a lot of time, and a lot of love and understanding from my
family to reach that point. I sat on the floor and cried for a long time
yesterday. I cried last night, and I am not ashamed to say that my brother
held me until I could go to sleep."
"Your brother? Slept with you? The gay one?"
"Yes Mary. Mark is a wonderful person and he has really helped me to get
through this, and the reason he did that is because my mom told him to."
"You told your mom? I don't know how you did it. I can't believe she told
your brother to sleep with you. You are a weird guy, Rick, but I guess
that is why I love you."
"Well, she knew what she was talking about. I needed to feel that my
family was there for me, and she knew that Mark was best able to express
that to me."
"I guess she must. I might need to talk to her. I don't know how I am
going to tell my mom that I am going to have a baby."
"You are?" Rick's eyes lit up. It was at that moment, Mary could look
into his eyes and see that he was being sincere and not just saying what he
thought he should. She realized that he really did want to get married and
be a dad.
"I am, and I am going to marry the cutest, most caring man in the state of
Georgia," she grinned as she said. Rick just smiled the biggest dumbest
grin she had ever seen. She instantly knew that he was the one for her,
and this was the right time. "If the offer is still good, I want to say
yes," she said with tears streaming down her face.
"You know it is," he whispered as he tenderly kissed her lips. "You know I
am here for you forever."
"I know. It feels great. I love you. I know this is the right thing."
After a few minutes of enjoying the moment that had just taken place, they
were interrupted by the sound of Mrs. Whitfield knocking on the bedroom
door. "I need to tell them together, lets don't say anything," Mary
whispered.
"Ok, but your dad already knows, I asked him this morning. I didn't tell
him about the baby though. You may as well go and tell her if you want
to," Rick whispered back.
Mary walked over to the door and opened it to face her mother who said, "I
just wanted to see if Rick had decided whether to join us for dinner. We
are having . . .. Mary, what is wrong. You have been crying." She looked
over toward Rick suspiciously and said, "What has he done to you?"
Mary just grinned and said, "He didn't do anything, except give me this!!"
She stuck out her hand and showed it to her mother. It took her mother a
moment to process what was going on, and then the two were instantly in
tears.
After a great meal at the Whitfield house, and a warm reception from
Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield, Rick and Mary walked out to the driveway where
Rick's truck was parked. They stood and talked in the pleasant June
evening air. It was almost 9, and it was just getting dark. Rick and Mary
decided that they needed to go ahead and break the news about the baby to
her parents. She was very nervous about it, and she insisted on packing a
bag before they told her, just in case it went that bad. They started out
of her room to tell her parents, and Rick stopped her and pulled her body
close to his, and said, "I love you. No matter what they say or how they
react, you know you have me. You already know that my family will accept
and love you no matter what, so go into this knowing that. I am right here
with you, and so if they want to, let them blame me. It might be easier
for them to do that, and I am prepared for it, as long as you still love me
afterwards. I just don't want them to turn you against me. I love you. I
would be lost without you."
"I love you too, and I have no idea what their reaction will be, but I
don't think it is going to be good. If you leave, I am going with you."
With that, they broke their embrace and went into the living room where her
parents were watching television.
Ok Guys, next time we will find out what happens when Rick and Mary tell
her parents she is pregnant. I hope you are still enjoying this story. I
have really enjoyed developing Rick and Mary as important characters in
this story, and I hope that you have enjoyed their the tale of their
circumstances as much as I have enjoyed writing about them. Their lives
will continue to play a very important role in the lives of Mark and Brad.
As always, please write me and tell me what you think of the story. The
parts you like the parts you dislike, and everything in between. Thanks
again for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you!!